Brown's father, Barry Brown Sr, was a star basketball player at Jacksonville and is now a middle school principal.[1] Brown Jr. began playing basketball at a young age and was competing in recreational tournaments at the age of five. By the age of seven, he was playing in older age brackets in Amateur Athletic Union tournaments. Growing up, Brown also excelled at football.[2]
High school career
Brown attended Gibbs High School, where he was coached by Larry Murphy. He scored 36 points in the regional final as a senior to lead Gibbs to a win over Golden Gate.[3] Brown was a three-star recruit and committed to Kansas State over offers from Florida Gulf Coast, Providence, Texas A&M and Wichita State.[2]
College career
Brown was named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team at the conclusion of his freshman season at Kansas State.[4] As a sophomore, he averaged 11.7 points per game and set a Kansas State single-season record for steals with 82 takeaways.[5] Brown scored a career-high 38 points in an 86–82 victory over Oklahoma State on January 9, 2018.[6] After his junior season, Brown earned second-team All-Big 12 accolades as well as being named to the league's defensive team.[7] He scored 18 points in both of the first two games of the NCAA Tournament, against Creighton and UMBC, and capably guarded the opposing team's best player.[8] In the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, he scored 13 points in a 61–58 win over Kentucky including the decisive layup in the waning seconds.[3] Brown averaged 15.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a junior in leading Kansas State to 25 wins and an Elite Eight appearance. Following the season, he declared for the 2018 NBA draft but did not hire an agent to preserve his eligibility and ultimately opted to return to school.[9]